Of Tunnels and Chocolate Brooms
by Luckysee12
Summary: CuCan HP: Cruz can't find a way to tell the candy-loving Matthew how he feels, but will a trip to the candy shop help?
1. Chapter 1

**This fic is for Reversealchemist off of an awesome picture on DA.**

When most of the students at Hogwarts date, they usually are dating someone from their own house. Ravenclaws usually dated other Ravenclaws, and so on.

There were relationships between two people from different houses too, but they weren't very common. Especially if one of the two was a Slytherin. Cruz knew this, but he couldn't help but be attracted to a certain Hufflepuff.

They weren't going out, heck; Matthew didn't even realize that Cruz had any feelings towards him other than friendship. They were friends, and just that was unusual.

Cruz couldn't just tell him! Matthew probably didn't feel the same way anyways and how could he just up and say it? 'What's the Transfiguration homework? Oh, and I love you.'?

"Cruz? Are you alright?" Matthew knocked Cruz from his thoughts. "Y-yeah I'm fine. Are you ready for the trip to Hogsmeade?" Matthew nodded, his wavy blonde hair bouncing. "Of course I am! I love it at Hogsmeade! Papa sent me some money to get some sweets from Honeydukes. He knows how much I like having sweets." Cruz nodded.

"My dad got me some too, but he didn't specify what it was for." The pair was on the stairs in one of the towers, sitting on the large ledge on the inside of the window, looking down at the courtyard.

"As soon as we get there, I'm buying all sorts of sweets, more than enough to last to the next trip, at the least!" Matthew had a happy personality when he was in a small group, but when he got into larger crowds, his 'happy' smiles were forced, and not actual smiles. He would be more stifled, not as open as he was with less people.

Cruz laughed. "You are going to buy Honeydukes itself one day." Matthew grinned. "Just think of this as research for when I open a candy store of my own. Speaking of which…" Matthew dug around in his bag, looking for something. He pulled out a small red box and lifted the lid. Small candies were laid out in the box.

"It's a new type of candy I've made. I call it Sugared Fizzing Maple Leaves. Its small candy maple leaves, with sugar on them that fizzes when you put it in your mouth. Try one, and tell me what you think." Matthew held the box out to Cruz. Cruz took it in his larger hand and lifted a candy out of the box. Matthew's candy usually tasted good, but even the candy genius he was, he made some bad ones too.

Cruz laid the candy on his tongue and closed his mouth. The candy was sweet, but not overly so, and had started fizzing, making a funny feel in his mouth. "I should have known that this was maple-flavored." Cruz laughed, the candy still fizzing against his cheek.

Matthew laughed too. "And how long have you known me?" He put a piece of candy in his mouth too, and then swallowed it. "Heeheehee, it feels like it's tickling me!" Matthew laughed, holding his stomach. Cruz smiled and took another piece, swallowing it too.

"It does feel like its tickling!" Cruz agreed, trying not to laugh. Matthew giggled for a little bit, before snapping his head up.

"Oh no, we're supposed to be outside so we can go to Hogsmeade!" Cruz stopped laughing and looked out the window at the courtyard. He could see the group leaving, too far for them to catch up now.

"Oh, no, we missed it. There's always next time, right?" Matthew smiled weakly, and Cruz could see he was sad. Cruz wrapped his Slytherin scarf around his neck. "Follow me, I know how to get there." Cruz took Matthew's hand and led him down the stairs and Cruz went underneath the steps.

"Through here, there's a tunnel and this'll bring us out to Hogsmeade." He said, moving one of the large floor tiles, revealing the passageway. Cruz hopped down into the tunnel, waiting for Matthew to jump in after.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Matthew's face was etched with worry. Cruz lifted his arms towards the blonde. "Here, just jump." He said reassuringly. Matthew gave one last gulp before jumping down into the tunnel. Cruz caught Matthew, set him down, and moved the floor tile back into place.

"_Lumos_." Matthew said holding up his cotton wood wand, and the tip glowed brightly, illuminating the walls of the tunnel. It took the two a few minutes for their eyes to adjust, but as soon as they did, they began walking down the passageway, Matthew leading. As Cruz watched the back of Matthew's robes wave around he couldn't help but remember something from long ago.

-Flashback-

_Cruz had just rounded the corner when he saw one of the Hufflepuffs standing alone in the courtyard. It was that Matthew kid. The one who was step-brothers with that obnoxious Gryffindor Alfred. Might as well give him hell too, he's probably exactly like his asshole step- brother. _

"_Wingardium Leviosa." Cruz whispered, lifting his wand towards the boy's glasses. The glasses slid off of his face and floated upwards. "Oh no! My glasses!" Matthew yelped, trying to reach up to the glasses, staying just beyond his reach. _

_He tried jumping up for them, but he couldn't reach them, no matter how hard he tried. The attempts at grabbing weren't very good, Cruz was barely moving the glasses, and Matthew was missing by miles. "This kid really needs these glasses. God, I feel bad now." Cruz mumbled, lowering the glasses back onto Matthew's face. _

_Matthew put his hand up to his glasses, almost as if he expected for them to fly off again. Matthew turned around and saw Cruz. Busted. "The professor said to give them back…" Cruz mumbled an excuse, as if to prove he wasn't a total softie. Matthew didn't seem to hear the dread-locked boy. "Thank you so much! I couldn't see a thing!" So maybe Matthew didn't think it was Cruz who did it._

_Cruz got a better look at the boy and saw he was actually really…attractive. Cruz's heart beat loudly at that, and he was surprised that Matthew didn't hear it. "N-No problem." Cruz mumbled again. "Here…" Matthew dug into his robe's pocket for something and took out a small box. "Here, as thanks, have some Peppermint Cream Toads with me. You like them don't you?" Matthew held the baby blue box. "Yeah, they're good." Cruz admitted. 'and my favorite.' He mentally added. Matthew didn't need to know that._

"_How do you still have candy now? It's been a long time since we've been to Hogsmeade, with the doxy infestations, how do you have any left?" Matthew blushed. "I-I have a big sweet tooth so I buy a lot, __**a lot**__ of candy from Honeydukes, and stockpile it up. I just sort of took this out of my stockpile this morning." _

_Cruz laughed. "Some big sweet tooth! Nothing wrong with that I suppose, it could be much worse." Matthew looked at Cruz with amusement and quirked an eyebrow. "Oh really? Like what?" "You could have a taste for English scones." Both of them started laughing._

-End of Flashback-

That was the start of their friendship, about a year ago. Cruz had only realized what exactly he felt for the blonde. He was so worked up just trying to find out how to confess it to Matthew. The nasty 'what if's were running through his mind as they walked further through the tunnel.

What if he didn't like Cruz back? What if it ruined their friendship? What if Matthew started to hate him? What if-What if? Damn all the what-ifs, he wanted to know what actually would happen.

"You got pretty quiet. Are you ok Cruz?" Matthew asked, snapping Cruz out of his thoughts again. "Uh-yeah, I was…just...ah…" Would now be the right time to confess? "I…um...Oh, look there's the exit!" Cruz laughed nervously pointing to a ladder propped up by the end of the tunnel.

Matthew looked a little sad, but just turned to the ladder. "So how do we get out?" Cruz inspected the wall of the tunnel then took out his wand and pointed it at the wall. "_Revelio_." The spot he pointed to started to fade and revealed a door.

"There." Cruz said, and he grabbed the handle, and pulled, but the door wouldn't open. "Oh yeah…" Cruz face palmed, lifting his wand back towards the door. "_Alohomora_" He said and there was a faint click before the door swung open. "I always forget to unlock it." Cruz laughed lightly.

Outside the door was room with shelves and containers everywhere. "We're in a store? What if someone catches us?" Matthew whispered hurriedly. Cruz just stepped through the doorway. "This is my dad's café's storeroom. You have been in here before." Cruz said, shrugging his shoulders.

Matthew looked around. "Oh, it is your dad's cafe. Thank god, I thought it was one of the other shops." Matthew said, walking out into the store. Cruz looked around the storeroom and seeing no one, turned to the door. "_Evanesco_" Cruz said, pointing with his wand at the center of the door. The door disappeared, leaving no sign that it was there.

"Now." Cruz smiled at Matthew. "Time for Honeydukes!" They both quietly cheered, going into the café, and going out the door, in pursuit of sweets. Down the street they stood before Honeydukes, Matthew just studying the beloved store before finally going in.

Matthew ran around, ducking through the store, looking at the different candies, Cruz just mild-naturedly following. One of the workers saw Matthew and came over to him.

"Ah, Matthew, back for more?"

"Of course I am Elizaveta! I can't stay away for too long."

"Do you want me to get some bags together for you?"

"Yes please, if you would."

Elizaveta returned with a few folded up honey yellow and grapefruit pink striped bags with 'HONEYDUKES' slapped on the side.

"Thank you Elizaveta, I'll see you when I'm done picking out my candy."

Matthew and Cruz went slower this time, Matthew looking at the candy more carefully, making sure that he didn't buy more than he had money for, and that the ones that he got were ones he really wanted.

Matthew had filled up two bags with Fizzing Whizbees, Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes, Bertie Bots Every Flavour Beans, and some of his other favorites before turning to Cruz. "What new candy this time?" Every time they came to Honeydukes (which was pretty often) they got a kind of candy that they hadn't tried before. It was Cruz's turn to pick one out.

"Let's look for a minute and I'll see if there is anything that looks good." Cruz scanned through the shelves and displays of pastel-colored boxes and packages. His eyes were caught on a row of royal purple and robin's egg blue boxes. They said 'Love Confession Brooms'. Interesting. Cruz picked it up and looked on the back for a description.

'_Need a way to tell that certain someone how you feel? Can't do it? Try out our Love Confession Brooms! Use the instructions inside to charm the specially-made chocolate broomstick so when that special someone breaks it or eats it, they hear a message you left telling them how you feel!'_

That could work… Cruz would have to buy these when Matthew wasn't looking. Cruz averted his eyes to the tins of Sugared Butterfly Wings. He picked up one of the green tins and went to find Matthew. He went to the aisle next over, and looked down it, and not seeing Matthew, went onto the next aisle, still not seeing the blonde.

Cruz eventually got back to the aisle he was in at first and saw Matthew looking at the same place Cruz was earlier. "Eh, Matthew, you were looking at the Sugared Butterfly Wings too? I already picked out a tin. Our new candy this time." Matthew's head whipped around to look at the dreadlocked boy walking over his way. "O-Oh, yeah, I thought they looked good." Matthew smiled, a bit sheepishly.

"Come on, we need to get to the counter. After this let's go to the Three Broomsticks and I'll treat you to some Butterbeer, ok?" Cruz said, turning to where the counter was. Matthew hesitated for a moment, and then ran to catch up with the tanned male.

Elizaveta was waiting at the counter for them. She waved them over "Hello boys, how many bags this time?"

"Only two." Matthew said. "I still have Pink Coconut Ice and Toothflossing Stringmints from last time."

As Elizaveta rung up the purchases Matthew seemed a little nervous. "Cruz, why don't you wait outside for me? I'll be out in a minute." Matthew urged Cruz. "I was going to get something for my dad here quick. I'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks ok?" Cruz said. Matthew nodded.

Cruz went back to where the Love Confession Brooms were. He picked up the box, and rubbed his thumb over it in his hand. He waited a minute or two before going back to the counter, to make sure Matthew wouldn't see what he was buying.

As Elizaveta rang up the candy, she eyed Cruz suspiciously. "Who are these for then Cruz?" Cruz blushed immediately. He tried to mumble out an answer but it was unclear as to what he said. "Are they for Matthew?" Cruz's face got even redder, and as his dad would describe 'like a tomato'.

Elizaveta just smiled knowingly.

Cruz's blush had gone down by the time his transaction was done and he ducked behind the building to record a message for Matthew on the chocolate. The instructions were clear enough.

"_Recordio Chocolat_. Um…Hey, Matthew, if you're listening, I guess this works, huh? Well the point of this is to tell you…" Cruz sighed. Even without saying it to Matthew, it was pretty hard to do. "…to tell you that I love you. I don't think that you feel the same, but I've wanted to tell you…I love you, Matthew. You make me smile, you make me laugh, and I guess you've made me love you…. _Recordio Chocolat Endimo_."

Cruz put the chocolate broom back in its box and put it in a robe pocket, and then he hurried off to meet the person he just recorded that message for. "Hey Matthew." Cruz greeted him as he came into the Three Broomsticks. Matthew was sitting alone at a table near a window, staring out it.

"Earth to Matthew, are you there?" "Huh?" Matthew looked up. "Y-yeah, just thinking." Cruz flagged down a worker and ordered two Butterbeers and when they arrived, handed one to Matthew.

They talked about whatever came to mind for a long time, until their Butterbeers were gone and as they found when they left the Three Broomsticks so was the group they were supposed to leave with. "We'll just go through my dad's shop tunnel again." Cruz said smiling. Matthew nodded. "Yeah, that'd have to do."

They went back to the storeroom and Cruz revealed the door and they both went through it back into the tunnel. "_Lumos_." Cruz said this time, lighting the way. They just talked about whatever again as they walked.

"Did you see Ivan block that goal at the last minute?"

"Yeah, I thought for sure that our beaters Tino and Berwald could get it past him."

"Nah, Ivan's a great goalkeeper. But I can't believe how fast your seeker was going!"

"Yeah, Gilbert is a good seeker. He barely got the snitch away from Sadiq though; he's a good seeker too."

"Yeah Sadiq just needed a few more seconds and he would've-Whoa!"

Not paying attention to where he was walked, Cruz tripped over a rock or something and fell to the floor, his wand, their source of light, going across the floor, hitting something with a dull _thunk_.

Cruz looked up over to where his wand was and saw with horror what it hit. The 'Love Confession Broom' had fallen out of the box and his wand had broken it in half.

His voice started to sound out to the two. The wand was lighting the box, a telltale sign to where the voice came from, but they could both tell whose voice it was.

"Um…Hey, Matthew, if you're listening, I guess this works, huh?" Cruz's eyes widened and he looked at Matthew, or at least what he could make out of Matthew, now that all the light was focused on the box. "Well the point of this is to tell you… to tell you that I love you."

Cruz wished he could see Matthew's face. "I don't think that you feel the same, but I've wanted to tell you…I love you, Matthew. You make me smile, you make me laugh, and I guess you've made me love you…." Cruz was blushing furiously, and he reached over and grabbed his wand.

"Uhh..." Cruz couldn't say anything. No words were coming out of his mouth, or Matthew's. It was killing him not to know what his reaction was, and the silence only stung. Cruz could hear some rustling and something opening.

"_Lumos_." Matthew said, holding his wand up. In his hand was another chocolate broom. He snapped the handle off with his fingers and his voice rang out.

"H-Hey Cruz, its Matthew, if you didn't know. I wanted to tell you something that I've been meaning to for a while. I-I…its kind of hard to say it, even if it's not face-to-face. I'll have to say this sometime though, and this is a bit easier to do it this way, eh? Cruz, I-I've told you things that I haven't told anyone else, because I trust you, and well, as I've been trying to say, I love you."

The recording ended and Matthew dropped the chocolate, and kneeled next to Cruz. "I-I thought you didn't feel that way for me." Cruz said. "I thought so too…" Matthew said softly. Their wands faded slightly, creating a softer light on the walls.

Cruz sat up and hugged Matthew to him. "T-This has made me so happy, Matthew." He said, muffling it in Matthew's shoulder. Matthew smiled through his happy tears.

"Not as nearly as happy as you've made me." Matthew told him. Cruz pulled back from the hug, and chuckled at the blonde, the lighted wands lowering a little bit more. "I love you." They both said at the same time, without meaning to. Cruz bent down to Matthew's lips, pressing them together in a gentle kiss.

Cruz licked at Matthew's lower lip, looking for permission, which Matthew gave easily. Their tongues danced together, creating a rhythm of their own, that only they knew. It was only them, and that's all they needed.

When they finally broke apart for air, Cruz reached into Matthew's robes. "W-What are doing?" Matthew asked. Cruz brought out a small box, the one with Sugared Fizzing Maple Leaves. Cruz took one out and placed it on his tongue before kissing Matthew again, transferring the candy into Matthew's mouth.

"How was that?" Cruz asked. Matthew giggled. "I never knew that candy would be any better than it was."

Their lips met over and over again after that, and to make long story short, they were more than late to class the next day.


	2. Notice

**Ok, ok, so this isn't a story update (not that I was really planning there to be one) but I wanted to let you guys know about a fanart for this story that I really love it's here (remove the spaces ) http:/chrisicrazy .deviantart .com/art/ Of-Tunnels-and-293712668 I feel so grateful (; A ;)**


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